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Talkin' About Red Dead Redemption

One editor is forced to spill the beans on Rockstar's open-world Wild West epic.

Rockstar's biggest game of 2010 isn't the next big-city violence simulator. Instead, it's an Old West violence simulator -- there's a big difference. The atmosphere of the Old West, from the saloons and whiskey to the horseback drive-bys, is as rich a setting as anything in the sci-fi, modern-day, or fantasy milieus. Other Western games have come before, but Red Dead Redemption might just be the first game that does justice to the Old West.

Several GameSpy editors are psyched about Red Dead Redemption, including resident humorist and alcohol enthusiast Brian Miggels. What follows is a heavily edited transcript of an electronic conversation he had with GameSpy Editor Gerald Villoria, who recently had the chance to play the game for himself.

Miggs: So. Red Dead Redemption. Will I be let down like I was by Grand Theft Auto IV?

Gerald: Wow, loaded question there, buddy. Why not ask me why if I'm still beating my dog? Like GTA4, Red Dead Redemption takes an open-world approach to game design, so appreciating it will come down to whether or not you're into wide-open spaces, dusty saloons, and all your typical Wild West locales. What specifically do you want to see Red Dead avoid that bothered you in GTA4?

Miggs: Cell phones. I don't want to be in the middle of a mission and have a carrier pigeon land on my shoulder because my little buddy wants to go hang out at the saloon. Speaking of saloons, are there multiple towns in the open world? And are there brothels?

Gerald: You've got a one-track mind, man. This is the Old West, so I'd expect that you can find women to carry off into the sunset at the local saloon, but I don't believe that you'll be finding any brothels in Red Dead. I actually asked about risque content in RDR, and I was told point-blank that you won't find any really naughty stuff in the game. Sorry, buddy!

Click the image above to check out the latest trailer.

As far as the towns go, while I only got to see the town of Armadillo, I learned that RDR is split into three large areas, and they're comparable in size to the larger areas in the GTA games. It's pretty ambitious, building something so big when your fastest method of transportation is the horse. Well, I guess you'll be able to ride a train back and forth between areas, but I'm just guessing at this point. During my hands-on session I was getting around strictly on horseback. The horseback riding was a little difficult for me to pick up at first, but eventually I got the hang of it -- and those horses look great, better even than the ones in Pony Friends 2 and Petz: My Horse Family.

The towns look pretty sweet, though I'm just basing this on what I saw of Armadillo. The local townsfolk hang out on their porches to pass the time, sipping whiskey and hoping for a good gunfight to brighten their day. You know, I've watched enough westerns to know that shootouts break out in the middle of the street pretty much 'round the clock, so I damn sure wouldn't be hanging out on my front porch and looking for someone to start something. I'd be sleeping in my bath tub and praying for some way to exceed the average life expectancy of 27.

In Armadillo, I visited the Sheriff's place and joined up to help the local old fart law-man rustle up some bad guys. Sure, the towns aren't as bustling as San Andreas or Liberty City, but you should still be able to find stuff to do.

Miggs: Is there anything innovative about the combat mechanics, or is it the "lock-on and shoot" combat that we're used to?

Gerald: You played the first Red Dead and I didn't, so you'll have to tell me. It's a pretty typical third-person shooter with typical western guns, including an ancient-looking sniper rifle, old-school Molotov cocktails, and a sweet double-barrel shotgun.